Problems arise
by Tumaila
Summary: part two of hadlir and narwain
1. Default Chapter

This part takes place six months after Narwain kissed Haldir on the archery field. They are now engaged, but both are having second thoughts. Narwain because of Rumil's declaration of love and Haldir because of his loyalty to the Lord and Lady **************************************************************************** ********************************  
  
They say all stories have a beginning, but do they all have an ending? Leaning back against the trunk of the mellyrn tree that housed the talon I was in, I toyed with the taunt string of my bow as a million questions filled my mind. The world was changing and I wasn't sure I could handle all the changes that were taking place around or within me. The Ring of Power was gone, destroyed by the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his friends but the darkness created by Sauron had not vanished with him. The Orcs still remained, still causing trouble for the world of Men and Elves.  
Shifting my gaze, I studied the vast green plains that stretched out from the edge of Lothlorien and vanished into the distance beyond it. What lay beyond the horizon I did not know, having never set foot out side of the golden wood in the four thousand years that I have been alive. Closing my eyes, I tilted my head back, enjoying the feel of the warm summer wind on my face. A smile tugged on the corners of my mouth as a shadow fell over me, blocking the sun.  
"You would be dead Narwain." A stern voice said. "If I was an Orc."  
I didn't even bother to open my eyes. "Look again Rumil."  
The blonde elf looked down and grinned at the sight of an arrow resting on the string of her bow. The gleaming metal tip was pointed directly at his chest. "I fear that my brother has trained you too well." Sighing, I opened an eye and stared up at him. Like me, he was dressed in a soft grey tunic and leggings of the March wardens. Like him, I had long silver blonde hair and blue-grey eyes. Reaching up, I brushed a lock of wind swept hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear as my gaze went once more to the plain outside of the woods. "Has there been any word on when he will be returning from Gondor?" "Nay, there has been no word." He replied as I returned my arrow to my quiver and stood up. I knew that he was worried about his brother's. This having been the first time that they had gone anywhere without him. Reaching out, I put a hand on his shoulder. "Fear not my friend. They will return and all will be as it should be. Haldir was right when he said you needed time to recover from your injuries." Rumil snorted. "It takes more than a scratch from an Orc sword to bring me down." I lifted an eyebrow as I folded my arms across my chest. "Scratch? You forget Rumil, that it was I who carried you back to the city. It took me three days to get all the blood out of my tunic from that 'scratch'." "You are not going to let me live that down, are you?" He asked. "Which part?" I asked as I shouldered my bow. "How you complained or the way you flirted with me the entire way back?" Rumil fained a look of shock. "Me flirt with my brother's intended? Why Kara I would never do such a thing." "'Ah, Narwain, Haldir does not deserve you.'" I said, imitating his voice. "Run away with me and I shall make you very happy.'" When he turned to look at me, something in his eyes told me that he hadn't been joking about what he had said. I felt my heart skip several beats as he turned and stepped closer to me. This is not happening. My mind screamed as his hand came up to trace the side of my face. Then it happened. Slowly, ever so slowly, he dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine. It lasted only a moment, and then he stood with his forehead resting against mine. "All I ask is that you rethink your betrothal to Haldir, Kara." He whispered softly. "His first loyalty will always be to the Lord and Lady and to these woods. You and I both know this." I pushed away from him, turned and gripped the rail of the talon as I fought to breathe again. "I.I can not do this. I need to think." And with that I swung myself over the rail and dropped to the forest floor below. I could not return to the city. No, the Lady would know that something was wrong and I did not wish to face her of this just yet. As I raced through the woods, I wonder how and why my life had just become far more complicated that I would have liked. I loved Haldir of that I was certain, wasn't I? Feeling lost and confused, I ran deeper into the woods until I found the one place where I could simply sit and think  
  
Chapter two: "It has begun." Galadriel said as she looked up from the image of the fleeing elf. "Valor guide her steps and aide her in the trials that are to come."  
  
Haldir stopped at the top of the hill just on the outer edge of Lothlorien. Though he had only been gone from his home for six months, it felt like an eternity. But there was another reason that he was looking forward to returning this time. Narwain would no doubt waiting for him as he entered the golden woods. The March warden shook his head slightly, there was no doubt that she would take his decision to end their engagement hard. But he simply couldn't see himself marrying her. He was the Captain of the guard and his heart belongs solely to defending the woods and the Lord and Lady.  
  
Why is this happening? I wondered as I sat by the edge of the Nimrodel. I was engaged to Haldir, something that I had wanted for as long as I could remember. Why now was I questioning my choice? If Haldir loved me as much as I loved him, why had it taken him so long to admit it? And why had he waited for a century to ask me to bind with him and then decide to wait another year before we under went the marriage ceremony? I knew that Rumil's declaration was at the heart of my confusion, but the question now was what did I do about it? "Haldir has returned, Narwain." Galadriel said as she stood beside me. "Why are you not among the first to welcome him home?" "My Lady," I said as I rose to my feet and bowed to her slightly. "I did not hear you approach."  
"But you have not answered my question." She said softly. "Does something trouble you?" 


	2. Hard choices

First off thank you for reviewing my stories. This was my mother's idea; I didn't think that they were good enough to be up here but she kept bugging me until I put them up. Thanks again, Tumaila  
  
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Hard choices:  
  
Rumil closed his eyes as he breathed in the scent that was Lothlorien. The air was thick with the smell of rain and damp grass which brought a smile to the young elf's lips. He knew that there was another reason behind his light mood this morn; a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart when he had told Narwain of his feelings for her. He knew that sooner or later he was going to have to face Haldir, something that he was not looking forward to. No matter how much he loved and respected his oldest brother, Rumil knew that in the end, Haldir would hurt Narwain. Not by intention, but by simply being who he was.  
Could there possibly be two people more wrong for each other? He wondered as he descended from his talon. Narwain was open, fun loving and down right mischievous at times, while Haldir was serious and reserved more often then not. All three brothers had fallen prey to the young she-elf's pranks one time or another. He also knew that it was unfair of him to make her choose between the two of them and that had been the main reason he had held off telling her of his feelings for so long, he had been half hoping that she would come to her senses before it was too late. But when that hadn't happened, he had taken matters into his own hands.  
Orophin, Haldir and Narwain were waiting for him at the end of the stairs. He noticed that Narwain couldn't bring herself to look at him; instead she accepted her posting to the Western boarder with silence and left with Orophin with out a single protest. Something that was not typical of the normally out spoken woman.  
"Something is not right here, Rumil." Haldir said as the two of them headed for their posts on the Northern boarder. "This is the first time that the three of us have been together in six months and yet she has not pulled one joke on any of us. Did something happen while we were away that made her suddenly so serious?"  
Rumil brushed a lock of blonde hair out of his eyes as he debated on just what he should tell his brother. "You could say that. I told her that I am in love with her and I asked her to reconsider her betrothal to you."  
Haldir turned on his brother so fast that Rumil was certain that he was going to hit him. Instead, Haldir simply shook his head as he studied him. "Are you absolutely certain of your feeling for her?"  
"I am." Rumil replied. "Why?"  
"Because I have decided to end my engagement to Narwain and I was wondering just how to do so, but you have just given me the perfect plan." The March warden replied. "And this is how we're going to go about it."  
  
Western Boarder:  
  
"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders my friend," Orophin said as he toyed with an arrow.  
Turning slightly, I glanced over my shoulder at him. "Rumil told me that he's in love with me and wants me to reconsider my engagement to Haldir. So if that classifies as having the weight of the world on my shoulders then by all means I do."  
"That would explain the absence of a water bucket over my bed this morning." He said as he smiled at me. "I must admit that I find your somber mood a relief."  
"Don't start." I said as I held up a hand and edged closer to the edge of the talon, something was wrong here. In a matter of moments, all sound in the forest had ceased signaling the presence of something dark in the Golden Wood. Lifting a hand to shade my eyes from the bright sunlight, I watched as a large number of Orcs made their way toward us.  
"Orcs." I whispered to Orophin as I glanced over at him. "At least four hundred. Signal the others to get ready."  
"Narwain you know that we can't possibly...."  
"We will do what is necessary to protect these woods." I hissed.  
Reaching back, I pulled an arrow from my quiver and set it to the string of my bow. Slowly, I rose to my feet and took up a defensive stance. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew that we wouldn't last long without help but I couldn't spare anyone to go for aide. That's when I heard Galadriel's soft voice in my head telling me that help was on the way and to hold on for as long as we could.  
When the Orcs were close enough, a rain of white feathered arrows fell upon them. The first wave of vile creatures fell to the well aimed arrows, but they were quickly trampled under the rest. The Orc archers shot wildly into the woods, not understanding that the arrows had come from the heights of the trees over them and not from with in the forest itself. As more and more of their numbers fell, they realized their mistake and began to aim higher. Several of their arrows struck the trees or the hard wood of our talons, but none reached the elves hidden among its branches.  
  
We were running out of time and arrows. Knowing that we could not continue on this way, I motioned for the other's to abandon their bows and draw their swords. Dropping to the ground, behind the vile creatures, we began to battle them hand to hand. Raising my sword, I managed to block the descending blow from an Orc sword, but I didn't see it's dagger until it was too late. The cold hard metal bit into my skin, sinking deep into my side. Ignoring the white hot pain that flashed through me, I flipped my sword and drove it into the Orcs chest. Blue-black blood spurted forward, coating my sword and face. Gasping for breath, I dropped to my knees as I pressed a hand to the wound in my side.  
"Narwain!" Orophin shouted as he rushed over to me. "Hold on! You can not leave us yet!"  
I heard his words, but they seemed to becoming from very far way. As the darkness closed in around me, I saw the face of the one I held dear float in front of my eyes.  
"Rumil." I whispered then gave into the darkness. 


End file.
